Aircraft typically include a plurality of flight control surfaces that, when controllably positioned, guide the movement of the aircraft from one destination to another. The number and type of flight control surfaces included in an aircraft may vary, but typically include both primary flight control surfaces and secondary flight control surfaces. The primary flight control surfaces are those that are used to control aircraft movement in the pitch, yaw and roll axes, and the secondary flight control surfaces are those that are used to influence the lift or drag (or both) of the aircraft. Although some aircraft may include additional control surfaces, the primary flight control surfaces typically include a pair of elevators, a pair of ailerons and a rudder, and the secondary flight control surfaces typically include a horizontal stabilizer, a plurality of flaps, slats and spoilers.
Modern aircraft have one or more flight control actuators located at each flight control surface for controlling precise positioning of the surface. Slight adjustment, even by a few degrees, can have a large effect on aircraft movement about one or more of the pitch, yaw and roll axes. Flight control surfaces are also acted upon by turbulence and other movement of air surrounding the respective aircraft. The actuators must be capable of substantially resisting such forces and vibration levels to maintain positioning of the flight control surfaces and control of a current trajectory of the aircraft along an associated flight path. Therefore, such actuators often include a component referred to as a “no-back” to prevent position changes under external conditions when the actuator drivetrain is disengaged. A typical no-back uses friction to provide irreversibility, though this type of no-back is often susceptible to substantial creep when exposed to certain combinations of vibration and load.